Ross Anderson

Native American Ross became the fastest skier in the Western Hemisphere. Born in New Mexico, he grew up in Durango, Colorado, and started racing gates at an early age. He was on skis by three at Purgatory Resort, where his father was on the ski patrol. By six, he was ski racing but was drawn to speed skiing. He later became one of the top US Speed Skiing Team athletes, winning bronze at the 2005 World Championships, and is an eight-time national champion. Ross has held the record for the fastest American ever on skis: 154.06 miles per hour (247.930KPH) achieved in 2006. Ross is also known for leveraging his athletic success to bring skiing to native youth. He began engaging in programs, initially at Purgatory Resort, together with the Southern Ute tribe, as well as the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma and the Mescalero Apache tribes of New Mexico. His goal was to bring diversity and to represent all indigenous and Native American Indians, motivating them to achieve their dreams, no matter the color of their skin. The programs utilized snow sports as an incentive to encourage youth in the classroom. With support from General Norman Schwarzkopf, his grassroots program inspired resorts across North America to invite over 10,000 native youth back to ski and ride on their ancestral mountains. Ross was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2023 and the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame in October of the same year.